A federal grand jury has declined to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James over allegations that she committed mortgage fraud.
This comes after a federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s cases against James and former FBI Director James Comey.
From Politico:
A federal grand jury turned down the Trump administration’s latest bid to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to two people familiar with the matter, who were granted anonymity to discuss the proceedings.
A grand jury in Virginia declined to indict James on Thursday — the latest black eye for the administration’s campaign to deliver the criminal cases President Donald Trump has demanded against his political adversaries.
It’s the second time in recent weeks that the case against James, for allegedly falsifying mortgage paperwork related to property in the Norfolk, Va, area, has flamed out. Last month, U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie threw out the case against James along with separate charges against former FBI Director James Comey, after concluding that the lead prosecutor – handpicked by Trump to bring both cases – had been illegally appointed.
🚨 BREAKING: In an infuriating move, Virginia federal grand jury REJECTS re-indicting Letitia James
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 4, 2025
The DOJ must NOT let this go!
The original charges were only dismissed on a "TECHNICALITY" with how the US Attorney was appointed. Nothing to do with merits.
KEEP PUSHING! pic.twitter.com/6usoGwttcI
James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, celebrated the grand jury’s decision, noting that “A federal court threw this case out after President Trump illegally installed a U.S. Attorney to file baseless charges against Attorney General James that career prosecutors refused to bring.”
Lowell stated that this “should be the end of this case,” but that if the Justice Department continues trying to prosecute James, “it will be a shocking assault on the rule of law and a devastating blow to the integrity of our justice system.”
It is said that a grand jury will indict even a ham sandwich, but the Letitia James case apparently just caused a Norfolk grand jury to go vegan. The DOJ could try again, but the rejection of the indictment after an earlier dismissal will only magnify the concerns over lawfare.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) December 5, 2025
However, the grand jury’s decision does not necessarily put a stop to the administration’s efforts to prosecute the attorney general.
The indictment focused on James’ purchase of a home in Norfolk, VA, in 2020. Prosecutors alleged that she lied on the mortgage application to obtain better loan conditions. She allegedly listed the home as a “primary residence,” but later rented it out to family members and did not live at the home.
James led a politically motivated civil case against President Trump during the 2024 campaign, claiming he exaggerated his net worth to get favorable loan terms.